สวัสดี
sà-wàt-dii/sa˨˩.wat̚˨˩.diː˧/
The Thai phrase for "good day" is สวัสดี (sà-wàt-dii).
สวัสดี is a general greeting used between sunrise and sunset. It is a versatile expression that functions as both a way to say "hello" and a way to say "goodbye".
Meaning: greeting between sunrise and sunset (intj)
How does it change in a sentence?
In Thai, politeness and gender are indicated by adding specific particles to the end of the greeting. To make the greeting polite for male speakers, add the particle ครับ (kráp) to the end. To make the greeting polite for female speakers, add the particle ค่ะ (kâ) at the end.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is sà-wàt-dii. It has 3 syllables.
Did you know?
- The word สวัสดี was officially coined in the 1930s by a professor at Chulalongkorn University to standardize Thai greetings based on ancient roots.
- In very formal settings, the height of the hands during the wai accompanying สวัสดี changes depending on the social status of the person being greeted.
- The word สวัสดี is actually a wish for 'well-being' or 'prosperity' rather than a simple observation of the time of day.
Examples in context
- สวัสดีค่ะ คุณครูsawatdi kha khun khruGood day, teacher.
- สวัสดีครับ เพื่อนๆsawatdi krap phuean phueanGood day, friends.
- สวัสดีค่ะ คุณแม่sawatdi kha khun maeGood day, mother.
Example conversation
Pimon and Teerapat meet at a cafe during the afternoon.
- พิมล Pimonสวัสดีค่ะ ธีรภัทรsawatdi kha theeraphatGood day, Teeraphat.
- ธีรภัทร Theeraphatสวัสดีครับ พิมลsawatdi krap phimonGood day, Pimon.
- พิมล Pimonวันนี้สบายดีไหมคะwan ni sabai di mai khaHow are you today?
- ธีรภัทร Theeraphatสบายดีครับ ขอบคุณครับsabai di krap khop khun krapI am fine, thank you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “good day” translations and entries สวัสดี, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries สวัสดี, CC BY-SA 4.0.
